Shaggy Clinging Crab – Mithrax pleuracanthus
ID: Tan, brown, reddish in color with blunt herbivore type pinchers. They can be 1" - 3" -main photo credit Jason E.
Tips: Mithrax crabs are vital to keep algae in check on a reef. These cleaners are active at night seeking out macro algae and nuisance algae. They will carefully clean around corals and are not known to be fish predators. Mithrax crabs will eat your prized macroalgae, ugly hair algae, fish pellets, nori and clams on the half shell. They make an interesting display tank creature or do well in refugiums and sumps. Most crabs are omnivores so as it grows keep it fed.
Rated: Reef Safe with caution
